Back in the seventies, the mathematics department at the Soviet Union's Moscow State University (one of the most prestigious departments in the USSR at the time) used a special collection of math problems, informally referred to as "Jewish" problems or "coffins" ("coffin" problems translating roughly to "killer"… »10/11/11 1:20pm 10/11/11 1:20pm

In the eighteenth century, rumors swirled about people accidentally buried alive when they lapsed into a deathlike state from cholera. As a result, the safety coffin was invented. Here's how it worked. »10/28/10 3:00pm 10/28/10 3:00pm

Coffins from the eighteenth century sometimes came equipped with an elaborate bell system, which…

Last summer, archaeologists unearthed this 1,000-pound lead coffin buried on the outskirts of Rome. Researchers don't want to crack open the sarcophagus, lest they harm whomever's inside. But shouldn't we be more concerned about its mysterious tenant harming us? »3/29/10 5:30pm 3/29/10 5:30pm